Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie (4) put a shot past New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) in a shootout Thursday night. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 Thursday night, April 3, 2014 in a shootout at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

The story was all set to be filed. The Avs were tough-luck losers, their lead over Chicago cut to one point with six games left on the season, five of which would be on the road. Less than a minute to go, my first-edition story was just waiting to be sent to the editors at the Post, with nothing left but a few quotes about the loss left to go.

Tyson Barrie made me delete the first eight or so paragraphs I’d had written and start all over again. Hey, happy to oblige.

The #WhyNotUs Avs put another win in the column tonight, with Barrie running into the phone booth at the end and putting on his superman cape. Tyson Barrie – the kid who was on the trade block earlier in the season (with many rumors involving the Rangers), the kid who was down in the minors, his future with the Avs anymore seriously in doubt – well, he has come to symbolize what this Avs season has become all about, one of second chances and new beginnings and all that jazz.

Marian Hossa to the Wings. Marian Hossa just joined a Wings team that sliced through the NHL last year like a Ginsu through a nice, fresh, wet piece of salmon.

Just give the Wings Cup now, and spare us all the trips to downtown Detroit, can we?

Last night on 104.3 The Fan, I said Hossa had a good chance at going to the Wings, and was scoffed at. How can the Wings do that, Joe and Jim wondered? Aren’t they right up against the cap as it is? Read more…

Congrats, Avs blog homies. You did yourselves proud in response to our question of yea or nay on Coach Q. An impressive response, both in number and in quality of reasoning.

We on the bench are duly impressed. Before we weigh in from chambers on our verdict, here is a summation of what we thought were some of the best, most thoughtful arguments, both for and against. And for the record, about 85 percent of you were in the nay category. Yes, the peanut gallery is usual filled with the loudest critics, but as the saying goes, 10,000 frenchmen can’t all be wrong. Read more…

A few late points about the game tonight that time and space considerations did not allow in the Post print product tomorrow:

– I think it’s time for Jeff Finger to get the hook and make way for Jordan Leopold for Game 4. And I’m not saying this JUST because of his loafing play that led to tonight’s game-winner for the Minnesota Wild. I’m saying it because, well, I think Finger is just too slow sometimes, and in this series, I think you need a quicker, more nimble guy with the puck and Leo can be that guy. Read more…

We here at All Things Avs believe we have made a scientific breakthtrough – just like today’s news on many front pages around the country, including ours, where it was discovered that people with big, fat stomachs aren’t as healthy as those who don’t.

For the prosecution:

“Honestly, I don’t like to talk about the injuries anymore. Every time I do, it seems like something happens. I’m going to knock on wood right now” — and he did just that, reaching over to the bench beside him — “because I’m a little superstitious.” Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold, after Monday’s game against Calgary.

Wednesday night, next game, against Vancouver: “Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold left the game in the second period with a hip injury and did not return.”

This could be a tremendous blow to the lumber industry. Each year, the industry estimates, 1.2 million tons of forest timber is cleared from the Amazonian Rain Forest to convert into wood specifically made for knocking on by superstitious types.

With the revelation from Denver that a knock on wood by a professional ice hockey defenseman did not produce the desired warding off of the inclemency that was thought would come his way if he hadn’t, the industry is bracing for a fallout which could include returns on existing orders designed just for such purposes.

“We believe there is still much anecdotal evidence to support our belief that knocking on wood does actually work,” said an industry spokesman, who then bolstered his belief by knocking on a piece of smoky ash pine.

That’s all it took for Peter Forsberg. Three games, before he was back on the shelf. The Avs throw the words ‘groin problem’ around the way guys in those stenciled t-shirts throw ‘bro’s’ to each other, so whether Forsberg really had a groin issue for last night’s game in Dallas – well, as Foppa always lobs around, “We’ll see.” Read more…

Turns out Anaheim will be without the valuable Corey Perry for at least the next six weeks because of an errant skate blade from No. 60 last night, that sliced deep through the muscles and tendons of the thigh. Ouch.

That’s two big injuries from slices of a blade this season. Is it time for the NHL to look into going to roller hockey? But seriously, as long as hockey players will be skating on ginsu knives for a living, there will be blood at times.

I saw Perry being wheeled out of the Pepsi Center last night on a stretcher, headed for an ambulance, then the hospital. It didn’t look good. And it wasn’t.

A couple of Avs notes: Adam Foote appears to be fine. He didn’t play the last several minutes of the third, but was on the bench by game’s end and would have played had the game gone to OT.
I think he was hurt some from a blocked shot, but don’t have that confirmed. I said hi to him on the way out of the building, and he appeared to be in a pain-free, ambulatory state.

Who sits among the Avs defensemen every night will be an interesting question, as long as everybody is healthy. Last night it was Jordan Leopold – a tough guy to scratch. As Joel Quenneville said, he likes having such difficult decisions to make. But it could create some hard feelings with whoever has to sit every night. Stay tuned.

I just posted this story on the Post website, but I’ll repeat everything here for the wonderful and loyal blog readers.
Basically, Sauer probably had a setback today in his rehab. Also, tonight’s lineup at the end, and details of a minor trade the Avs made today, involving Mark Rycroft.

By Adrian Dater
The Denver Post
Avalanche defenseman Kurt Sauer, out since Nov. 30 with whiplash and other headache symptoms, suffered dizziness today while skating, a possible setback in his recovery.
Sauer returned to practice with the Avs on Monday, but had to leave the morning skate early with the dizziness. He said he suffered the dizziness when trying to skate in circular patterns, backward and forward. Doctors have told him he has whiplash, and not more serious post-concussion symptoms, but until the dizziness goes away, he will remain sidelined.
In other Avs news, defenseman Jordan Leopold will play tonight against the Nashville Predators, after missing two games with the flu.

The Avalanche announced today that it has acquired defenseman Darcy Campbell and forward Philippe Dupuis from the Columbus Blue Jackets organization in exchange for forward Mark Rycroft. Campbell and Dupuis will report to the Avalanche’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

Campbell, 23, has appeared in 28 games for the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) this season, recording six points (1g/5a) and 26 penalty minutes. He signed with Columbus as a free agent on March 24, 2007 after concluding a three-year career at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (CCHA). The Airdrie, Alberta, native played one game for the Blue Jackets in 2006-07, making his NHL debut on March 30, 2007 at Chicago.

First off, went to museums today in Washington, and the overriding thing I always feel when finishing going to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is: boy, do I feel dumb.
I mean, I’m always like, “How did they DO that?” How did they make that Apollo 11 capsule go all the way to the moon and back. Then you see in another museum how the first computers were made, and on and on and I feel like “Geez, I should have studied harder in school. Because I have NO idea how they all work. Guess that’s why I’m a hockey writer, eh folks?
OK, here’s my prediction of something soon regarding the Avalanche: they will make a BIG pitch to Peter Forsberg IF IF IF he decides he can play again this year. That decision should come soon. I’m not hearing anything overly negative about his latest condition, so it might happen. Read more…

ANAHEIM – I must admit, it takes a lot to shock me anymore in this business, but today it happened when Joel Quenneville passed on the news that Jordan Leopold was hurt again.
This guy played in 156 of the previous 164 games with Calgary before being traded to the Avs last year. Since then, he’s been healthy for 25 of 115 games with Colorado. Read more…

It will be Jose Theodore’s second start in a heartland American city tomorrow night, in less than a week. This time, in St. Louis, it will come in a league with an ‘N’ in front of the ‘HL’, not an ‘A.’
Hard to believe Theodore is back for another year with the Avalanche, period, after what was basically a disastrous 2006-07. Read more…

I was at Avs rookie camp today, at Family Sports Center in Centennial, expecting to just see players that I’d need a program to recognize.
So, who do I see on skates as well? Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, Paul Stastny and, I believe, every other player from the veteran roster. There they were, scrimmaging in one of the two rinks, a full three days before the official start of training camp. Read more…

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.